


Decisions, Decisions

by Leialovesdarcy



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Office, Angry Kylo Ren, F/M, Falling In Love, Hate to Love, Implied/Referenced Sexual Harassment, Kylo Ren Needs a Hug, M/M, Romance, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Work In Progress, paralegal!rey
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-24
Updated: 2017-08-09
Packaged: 2018-07-26 09:32:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 19,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7569064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leialovesdarcy/pseuds/Leialovesdarcy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This fic is a work in progress.  Rey's mantra is to work hard and work harder...but one day she is pushed to her limit and in the heat of the moment, makes a rash decision that will change her life forever.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One: The Workday From Hell

"It's only 9:37 a.m.!" Rey exclaimed in a whisper as she squinted at the clock on her computer monitor. It seemed as though an eternity had passed instead of only one hour and thirty-seven minutes. "It's going to be a long day" she murmured ruefully to no one as she dabbed at the perspiration that had collected on her brow, evidence of her boss's refusal to turn on the air conditioner in July.

“ **Girl**!” an animalistic voice rasped at her. With a slight turn of her head, she glanced at the speaker, the massive, fish-like Unkar Plutt, partner of the small law firm she worked at. She pressed her full lips into a thin line, forcing her expression into a painfully impassive facade, as she lifted her hazel eyes to meet the man's stare. She had worked at Unkar Plutt’s toxic tort defense firm for four years, and even now she had to fight her body's natural urge to shudder under his wandering eyes.

“Good morning, sir. What can I assist you with today?” she queried through almost gritted teeth.

“We have co-counsel coming in this afternoon to review our documents in the Tano matter, which means that I expect you to have them copied within the next two hours.” As he finished his statement, the associate handling the matter, Attorney Teedo, with a mischievous smirk, slammed two boxes of documents onto her desk displacing all of Rey's neatly stacked paperwork before strutting back to his office.

Rey's eyes followed the paperwork as it fell gently to the ground.  _**Remember, if you just say yes he will leave you alone.  Don't engage!**_ Taking care to not look at the man, she nodded stiffly and coolly assured the Partner that the work would be finished on time.  Realizing that his pliant paralegal had no retort to offer, Plutt sauntered off to his office, which naturally had air conditioning, despite the fact that the rest of the office was sweltering in the midsummer heat. 

Rey leaned over in her chair and placed her head in her hands as she quickly reviewed all of the assignments she had received in the last month.  _**How could I have forgotten about this?**_ she thought desperately as she chewed on her lip.  When nothing surfaced, except blood from biting her lip, it finally dawned on her that she had no way of knowing about this assignment.  _**That asshole!  Teedo was hiding deadlines again----why is he always trying to get me in trouble with Plutt?**_ she wondered as she bent down to collect the paperwork that had been rudely displaced by Teedo. 

After placing the filing back on her meticulous desk she turned to the boxes and sighed.  _**It's really going to be a long day**_ she mused as she stared at the boxes willing the paperwork to copy itself.  Her face scrunched and she grunted as she lifted the boxes and carried them over to the Xerox machine.  She set them down next to the copier, pausing quickly to straighten her back.

She managed to copy and organize the documents in record time, stopping only three times to kick the damned machine as it attempted to devour the paperwork and once for a glass of water, but only when the added heat of the copier in the tropical climate of the office threatened to make her faint.and hunger left her lightheaded.

*********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************  
It was nearly 4:30 p.m. when Rey finally had a moment to stop and consider eating a lunch. She quickly grabbed her purse and made her way downstairs to the FiveBucks Coffee Shop in the Lobby of the building. Her stomach grumbled as her senses were overwhelmed by the scent of coffee, baked goods and air conditioning that swept over her like a cool wave of water.

Rey patiently edged her way through the crowd of afternoon regulars in pursuit of their afternoon coffee fix.  She briskly placed her order and made her way to the counter to wait. 

"Rey!  Raspberry scone!" a girlish voice sang from behind the counter.  Rey stepped forward eager to claim her snack.  The warm scent of the scone assaulted her nostrils and she quickly pulled the scone from the bag and began to nibble on it, taking great care to savor each bite.  Her shoulders began to relax as she scrolled through her Tumblr app, looking up only when a large man brusquely shoved past her to pick up his coffee. 

Rey stared down at her beloved afternoon snack that had been knocked from her grip and now littered the floor of the cozy coffee shop.  After a long moment, her gaze moved from the floor to the lumbering giant, who possessed the grace of a bull in a china shop at the counter.  Not only did he did the Armani-suit wearing stranger fail to apologize, but he directly proceeded to terrorize the dashing barista. 

"I specifically asked for LIGHT ICE.  What the hell is this crap?" he asked not so quietly, shaking the coffee in the barista's face.  Much to the credit of the man, he wordlessly took the cup back from the scowling man and began to re-make the order. 

Rey gently placed her phone in her pocket book as her stomach grumbled.  Her brief peace of mind was shattered and the fury of the morning boiled over in her chest painfully.   Her nostrils flared as she charged forward in a haze of hangry indignation.  She stopped not even six inches away from the stranger with the sinfully beautiful hair and said "excuse me."  

The raven haired man continued to fiercely scroll through his iPhone with his abnormally large index finger.  Emboldened further by his rudeness, she took yet another step forward and sharply poked his shoulder before shouting " **excuse me, what's your problem?** "

A hush fell over the once noisy coffee shop as the not-so-gentleman peered up from his phone.  His dark eyes roved over the irate, yet lovely brunette standing before him with her face flushed scarlet and her hands on her hips in a defiant stance.

Much to Rey's amazement he had the nerve to look both baffled and _offended_. But Rey was on a roll and so she continued "yes, you heard me correctly. What is your problem? You just storm in here, with no consideration for anyone, and knock my scone on the floor?" Pausing to take a breath after her tirade, her stomach roared audibly in assent, only embarrassing her further. "Then you proceed to terrorize this poor soul" she cried gesturing towards the eye-catching barista who attempted to appear demure, though he could hardly disguise his amusement at the tableau playing out before him.

The tall stranger turned to the "poor soul" and looked at him almost as though only he could save him from the wrath of this seemingly petite, but surprisingly terrifying beauty. As if on cue, the barista effectively dismissed and defused the tension of the impending storm by handing over the corrected latte with a cheerful "here you go, sir. Have a great night."

The behemoth quickly grabbed the coffee and stalked off as everyone quickly averted their eyes.  He stopped only once to look back at Rey before exiting the shop.  

The barista looked at the ruined scone on the ground and then at the distraught young woman before him. A grin spread across his fine features as he said “I take it you need a new scone? Let me have Sabe get you one…would you like that warmed up?”

Rey inhaled slowly, collecting herself and nodded. “Thank you.” She bent down to to pick up her ruined scone and proceeded to toss it gracefully into the nearest rubbish bin.

The barista’s grin blazed into a dazzling smile as he answered “no problem. Name’s Poe and I’m the new manager here. I’ve heard stories from the staff about that guy…but, you know, the electric bills don’t pay themselves, so we technically have to let him come back”. He shrugged, chuckled and shook his head as he continued “in this business, certain customers stand out in the memory of the baristas. I’m pretty sure if they had that guy's photo, the staff would be clamoring over each other for the opportunity to throw darts at it. You were pretty impressive calling him out like that! You got a name?”

“It’s Rey” she mumbled as she flushed in embarrassment at her outburst. Although she could not help but notice that this man was incredibly charming, she was in absolutely no mood to make conversation. She was not only humiliated by her lack of decorum and the stares of the customers that seemed to be burning a hole in the back of her head, but she was also in a hurry to return to the office before Unkar noticed her absence. Although Rey knew that Coruscanti law mandated that employees be granted an hour lunch break, she also knew that somehow the law apparently did not apply to certain staff members at Unkar Plutt, P.C.; more specifically, her alone. She quickly thanked Poe again as he handed her her order, before quickly turning to sprint back to the office.

*****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

“WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?” Unkar roared as she returned to the office. He peered down at her coffee cup and untouched scone as he callously continued “first you blow off a document review, and now you're leaving the office whenever you feel like it without permission.  I'm starting to wonder if you value your job" he said darkly.

 

Rey held her breath as she attempted to make her way past the enormous man blocking her path, but he would not let her pass. Instead he roughly shoved her into the wall, which resulted in her coffee splashing all over her pristine, crisp, white button-down shirt. Ever the opportunist where matters of lechery were concerned, Unkar's eyes wandered not-so-innocently to her drenched blouse.  

Her skin felt like it was covered in creeping cockroaches under his gaze and Rey inhaled sharply holding her breath.  Her lungs began to burn as Unkar leaned in so close that she could see the marked wrinkles beneath his blue eyes and feel his rancid breath in her hair.  No matter how many times she washed her hair, she was certain that sour odor would never be washed away. 

Rey's shoulders knotted themselves over as she unsuccessfully tried to move away and found herself stuck against the wall.  _**RUN!**_ the fearful part of her screamed.  **_No!  How will I survive?  How will I pay my rent and buy my food?_ ** the survivor in her argued.

 

**_Don't be foolish!  You've saved, you'll survive!  Is it really worth it anymore?_  
**

 

 

Rey had always had misgivings about accepting this position. She had started with the firm while completing her undergrad degree in paralegal studies, with bright hopes of law school in the future. However, much to her disappointment, her counselor, Mr. Krennic had advised her against attending law school. He, in his explosive manner had assured her point blank, that there were no real job opportunities for anyone that didn't attend an ivy league school, unless of course she was hoping to perform document reviews in dingy basements with no health benefits? Her choice had been swift but sad - no to law school and she had grudgingly accepted her fate as Unkar's paralegal. 

Despite her initial disappointment, she loved working as a paralegal, however; she loathed the nature of toxic tort defense. She had quickly learned that many of Unkar’s clients were, in fact, quite guilty of adding toxic materials to their products. Day after day, her heart sank as she watched Unkar harass these frail men and women, sometimes in their hospice beds, accusing them of lying about their exposure to the toxic materials in his clients' products. But as unhappy as she was, she had never felt brave enough to leave.  

This was not the first time Unkar had invaded her personal space, but in the 3.2 seconds it took her to calculate her savings and realize that she would not starve...at least for a time, she decided it would be the **last.** She quickly ducked beneath his sagging fat arm and bolted for the door, stopping only to give him her last regards.  “Unkar Plutt, there is a special place in hell reserved for troglodytes like you and the repulsive associates that work for you. I QUIT.”

Unphased by her words he called out as she made her way to the elevator “You’ll be back. You’re a nothing, and no one will ever want you! If you’re lucky, maybe I’ll accept you back…with a reduced salary of course, you ungrateful bitch!”

His parting words confirming that she had made the right decision, she  stepped on the elevator and refused to look back.


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finn finds Rey and drags her out for drinks. A wild Poe Dameron appears and tries to tell a story.

 

It was nearly seven o'clock when Finn began to climb the stairs to the cozy apartment that he shared with Rey and their Pembroke Welsh Corgi, BB8.  Stopping to breathe at the top of the staircase, he began shuffling through his leather bag in pursuit of his apartment keys as he walked down the dimly lit hallway.  He grasped the door handle to Apartment 4D and much to his surprise it twisted before he had a chance to insert the key.  His spine stiffened at this discovery as he was typically the first one home and it was so unlike Rey to leave the door unlocked.  He put his ear to the door to listen for intruders.  _**What am I doing?  It's not like they're going to sit on the couch and invite me in.   It's now or never,**_ he assured himself as he cautiously opened the door, bracing himself for the worst.

A ball of copper fur zoomed towards him and coated his ankles in Corgi kisses.  He laughed and closed the door behind him.  He turned on the light switch and placed his bag, keys and water bottle down on the grey, distressed coffee table in the center of the living room before turning to pick up BB8.  BB8's jaw went slack as his "father" rubbed a certain spot beneath his collar.  He breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that if something were amiss BB8 would not be so relaxed.  Although he was small, he had the courage and tenacity of a Spartan Warrior and would bravely bloody the ankles of any invader in defense of his home and beloved owners.

As he surveyed the empty living room and dark apartment, he concluded that Rey must have left the door unlocked that morning, which was unusual for her.  _**Unkar must have her under more stress than usual.**_ He shook his head in disgust.  He honestly could not understand how Rey continued to work for that scoundrel, until seven, almost eight o'clock at night, Monday through Friday and occasionally on Saturdays.  Rey had been in the top ten percent of her graduating class at Coruscant University, so there was absolutely no reason she needed to remain at that sweat shop of a law firm as long as she had. 

 He gently placed BB8 in his doggie bed and moved towards his room to change out of his work clothes.  In the eerie silence of the apartment, he could hear a soft whimper coming from Rey's room.  He poked his head in to Rey's room and  much to his surprise, he found his roommate hunched over on the floor in the shadows cast by the only light in the room ---- a linen scented candle on her bedside table.

“Rey?” He stepped in to investigate; this was not the first time he’d found her like this, but this time somehow seemed different. “Rey? What’s going on? I’ve heard of romantic baths, but candlelit cry sessions? Wait---are you ugly crying? Hey! What happened? Talk to me!” he cried as he plopped himself down unceremoniously on the floor next to his weeping friend.

A snort escaped her nose as she tried, and failed miserably, to suppress a sob.   A minute passed before she attempted to explain.   “Well to be fair, it was the same shit, different day really. Well, unless of course you consider the spectacle I made of myself at FiveBucks…but I just couldn’t deal with everything anymore” she choked out before moaning miserably into her elbows.

Finn's brow furrowed as he considered her words.  He placed his arm around her slumped shoulders pulling her into a tender brotherly hug. “What are you saying Rey?”

“I QUIT! He cornered me, spilled my coffee all over my blouse and…and----I quit! I threw four years of my career down the toilet as I ran out of the office in the heat of the moment” she sobbed before continuing. “It’s not like this was the first time it had happened-----"  Finn frowned deeply at the thought but said nothing.  "----but I don’t know what I was thinking.  It seemed like the right thing to do at the time, but it wasn't because I don’t even have a new job lined up!” she wailed into her hands.

Finn put his chin on top of her head and crinkled his nose as a soft, rancid scent of espresso and spoiled milk invaded his nostrils.  He squinted at Rey in the gloomy candlelit room, noticing for the first time that her usually pristine, pressed, stark white blouse appeared to be stained dark brown over her bosom and belly.  He grimaced as he realized how humiliating her experience must have been, having her shitbag boss knock her coffee all over her, and then have to commute home in it. He sighed before saying excitedly “well Rey, I don’t know how to put this gently, but this is the best damn news I’ve heard all day! And I placed three recent college grads in jobs in the fields they actually received their degrees in, so that’s really saying something!” Despite his elation at the news of her hasty resignation, Rey continued to cry, albeit quietly.

“Rey, look at me” he said softly. He waited until she peered up from her elbows and continued “you outgrew that job a long time ago. If you were still in college looking for experience to pad your resume, that would be different. But you graduated a year ago, there’s nothing left for you there. It’s me you’re talking to; I know you’re afraid of change, but not all change is bad. I know that no one in that shithole appreciated the hard work that you put in daily. In fact, those pigs took advantage of your incredible work ethic, talent and compassion. Do you really think that he would have kept you around if you were anything less than amazing? Plutt is all for what he can get and he was a fool to treat you that way. But I’m glad you finally came to your senses and walked away, because despite what you believe, you deserve far better than you’ve received, in so many ways. I know you’re scared, but look, things could be so much worse! You’ve been saving your money, so you’re not destitute, you don't have student loans to worry about, and you're not homeless. Besides, you know that I would never let anything happen to you. And you know how much I hate to brag, but ----- I am one of the most successful recruiters in Coruscant. With my talent and your incredible credentials, you’re going to be interviewing in no time. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if you landed a new job before the end of the week.”

“Finn, don’t be ridiculous. It’s already Wednesday” Rey quipped.

 

“I’m serious. I believe in you, but now you need to.”

 

Rey wiped her remaining tears using the back her hands; she had cried so much that it was a painful process.  Once her tears had been completely wiped away, she turned to Finn and hugged him tightly.  In the moment the only thing she could muster was a heartfelt "thank you."

 

“Good” he replied. “Now get up Peanut, and please take a shower. I didn’t want to say anything, but you smell like you spent your day dumpster diving. Oh, and just send me your resume quickly before you get in the shower. Key word there being quickly, because you really do smell bloody awful. Bazine mentioned that she's working late tonight and that she had a few leads she needed to follow-up on before I left. I'll shoot your resume over to her while you clean yourself up. When you no longer smell like a scavenger, we’re going out to celebrate your first steps into the next stage of your career.”

****************************************************************************************

 Much to Rey's delight, Finn insisted that her first steps include a trip to their favorite pub dubbed "The Cantina" by the locals.  By the time they reached The Cantina, the ache in Rey's chest had receded and in its place bloomed an overwhelming feeling of liberation and joy.  She smiled at the fact that she would never be bossed around and harassed by Unkar Plutt or his miserable associates ever again. Ever considerate of others, even strangers, she did pity the poor soul that would eventually take her place.  However, her worries disappeared as she considered that she had better things to do with her newfound freedom than concern herself with that office and its miserable tenants.

 

The pair paused at the door to say hello to one of Rey's favorite people, the tall, foreign doorman who went by "Chewie".  Shyriiwook was not a language commonly spoken in Coruscant, so Chewie was quick to appreciate the fact that Rey had mastered the language by the age of fourteen, and the two had become fast friends over the past two years.

 

When Rey and Finn finally entered The Cantina, the jazz that had dominated Happy Hour faded as Top 40 music began to play over the speaker for the incoming evening crowd. The lighting was muted, not dark, painting the room in a soft golden glow, that created a cozy atmosphere that Rey loved.  They stepped forward to place their drink order at the bar, when a pleasant, yet strangely familiar voice called out “Finn Boyega! Is that you?” The two friends turned and Rey could feel a slight blush creep up her neck as she saw who approached; _**the barista---no---Poe he had said his name was**_.

Finn’s head whipped around so fast that Rey wondered how he had not broken his neck, and his eyes glazed over in excitement at seeing his former college roommate.  “Poe Dameron? Is that you? I thought you were serving in the Air Force? When did you get back?” he cried as he ran to embrace his friend.

“I finished my tour and was released three months ago. I decided to ease back into civilian life by keeping myself busy. I am the new manager at the FiveBucks over in Financial Square.” As Finn released Poe from his hug, he noticed Rey standing there. “Rey?” He turned to look at Finn “and just how do you know my favorite customer?” he asked as he winked charmingly at Rey.

“Rey and I have been best friends since elementary school, and now we’re roommates, actually. We share an apartment over in Cherry Hill Circle-- wait---favorite customer? I’m curious to know how she earned that title?” he said, raising a quizzical brow at Rey, who felt as though her cheeks were on fire.  She cursed her overactive sympathetic nervous system and hoped that her face was not as red as her heated cheeks led her to believe.

Poe smiled warmly “well let me buy you both a drink and I’ll tell the story. In fact, I may even have several others help me tell the story, since they were there and decided to join me for after work drinks.  You've got quite a fan base you know" he said to Rey, as a smile spread over his movie star-like features.  Finn turned wordlessly to Rey and she offered him a small shrug before nodding.  A small smile graced her features as she and Finn followed Poe to his table, her shoulder length curls bouncing with each step.

****************************************************************************************

Two margaritas later and Rey was laughing so hard that the muscles in her face began to cramp. Much to Rey’s surprise, the FiveBucks group relished in recounting the tale of how she cowed the customer commonly referred to as “Jerk Face” into silence.

Tears began to stream down Finn's cheeks as Poe drunkenly attempted to imitate Rey's fine Coruscanti accent.  "What'shhh your prooooblem?!" he cried one hand on his beer and his other hand pointing at the ceiling.

A girlish giggle escaped Rey as she watched him. 

 

"Really though.  I'm not sure what that guy's deal is.  Every day we make the same order, sugar-free vanilla soy latte with light ice...and every day one of us falls victim to some imaginary detail that seems to be wrong.  So you can only imagine how much we _loved_ you this afternoon" Poe said while gazing into Rey's eyes from across the round booth. 

Rey turned quickly to her half full margarita glass and took a sip to avoid his gaze.  When she looked up she noticed that Poe was playing a pair of air drums while Sabe, who could have passed for Keira Knightley's identical twin, began to conduct an invisible orchestra.   _ **What the----?** _ she thought to herself when she too heard Finn's ringtone----the theme song to their favorite show, Game of Thrones, playing loudly. _DUN DUN DUN DUN DUN DUN DUN DUN…_

“Hello? Finn speaking? Bazine? You know it’s like 10:30 p.m., right? What are you still doing at the off---- oh? Well that’s great! 2:00 p.m.? Sure, she’s right next to me. I’ll let her know.”

He hung up the phone and a shit eating grin spread over his youthful features. “Listen, I don't want to say I told you so, but Rey, I told you so. You have an interview scheduled at First Order, LLC tomorrow.” He reached over and snatched her third margarita from her hands, as he waved his other index finger and said “ah, ah, ah, you have an interview. But don’t worry, I’ll finish it for you. To Rey and her new beginning” he cried and raised the glass.

“TO REY!” the group cheered as she blushed. She laughed cheerfully and glanced around the room, taking particular notice of a small man drinking alone at the end of the bar. His shoulders were slumped over as he drank his $1.00 draft beer in silence. As though he could feel her eyes on his back, the small, pale man turned, and although his face was shrouded in the shadows, he met her gaze, and Rey’s buzz dissipated instantly as her nerves began to form intricate knots in her belly.


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey makes a new friend...and sees an old acquaintance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to apologize for hastily posting my former chapter three. I also want to thank you for sticking with me on this rough journey. I hope that you all enjoy the revised version.

Rey stood still as a board, her jaw slack and her eyes wide. This was not what she had expected!

EARLIER THAT DAY...

Rey woke up sweating and panting the next morning. "That dream again---" she grumbled before looking at her clock that read 9:00 a.m and panicked again. Her arms and legs thrashed wildly as she jumped from her bed like a hungry rathtar. As her feet hit the plush grey carpet she recalled the events of the previous day, realizing that she could not be fired for being late if she already quit. She sat back down and wrapped the soft quilt around her. She lounged in her queen sized bed as the sunlight danced across her bed through her coral pink curtains. _**What a beautiful day!**_ she thought cheerfully as she rolled onto her right side, pulling the curtains open to peer out the window next to her bed.

After roughly ten minutes, she slowly padded across her comfortably sized bedroom to the bathroom and flipped on the light switch. Rey squinted at her reflection in the mirror as she washed her hands; she had never considered herself beautiful, but the dark circles she discovered under her eyes frightened even her. _**Oh goodness…I need to wake up properly.**_ She splashed water on her face and decided that perhaps it would help soothe her nerves and increase her energy if she went for a run. She stripped her pajamas off, taking care to neatly place them in the wicker hamper near the bathroom door, and donned her running apparel. She stopped only once to brush her teeth and toss her hair in an unkempt bun before making her way outside.

Sweat pored down Rey's back, face and arms as she inserted her key to the apartment door.  Once the door closed behind her, she clicked the lock into place and practically skipped towards the bathroom.  Her calves screamed at her after her five mile trek, but she hummed blissfully as she turned on the water.  While the mirror began to fog up with condensation, Rey slowly and methodically removed her sticky running apparel.  Once removed, she carefully dropped the stinky clothing into the hamper and sighed at her newfound freedom before jumping in the shower.  She began to belt out her favorite tune "Up" by Shania Twain as she began to vigorously scrub herself clean.

Once she had dried her body, which had begun to develop goosebumps in the air conditioned apartment, she attempted to make herself presentable. Despite the fact that sultry eyes and heavy contouring were in vogue, Rey embraced the natural style that had kept Chanel in business for decades. She quickly applied her under eye cream, beauty balm, soft kohl eyeliner, mascara and Jersey Rose shade lipstick which offered a subtle sheen. She typically favored wearing her hair in a chic French twist, but today she opted to wear her hair loose and curly.

Rey chewed her unpainted fingernail on her left thumb as she browsed the contents of her small closet.  Skipping the white and black uniform she had adopted at Unkar's office, she picked up a bright pink Portofino style, polyester blouse, and svelte black pencil skirt.  _**I can't begin a new adventure with the same outfit as my last**_ , she assured herself as she selected a pair of blush, patent leather wedges, which matched perfectly with her outfit.  Once dressed, she quickly glanced at herself in the full length mirror hanging on her closet door and quickly tucked a pair of flats into her pocket book for later. She zipped her purse shut and kissed BB8 gently on the nose, taking great pains to avoid getting dog hair on her black skirt before exiting the snug apartment with a buoyant stride.

*********************************

Rey was thankful that First Order, LLC was located across the street from her former job, as she would now have no trouble finding the office. **_Even better it's located on the twenty-seventh floor of Coruscanti Place, one of the nicest office buildings in the entire city! Which definitely means that the air conditioning is fully operational!_**

A small smile splayed across Rey's features as she peered at her good luck charm----a rose gold Michael Kors watch and confirmed that she was, in fact, one hour early for her interview.  Her stomach grumbled as she looked over at FiveBucks.  With time to spare, she decided a snack would settle the growing flutter in her belly.  Her new friend, Sabe, greeted her with a mischievous smile as she placed her order.  As she pulled out her debit card to pay, Sabe waved her along to the end.  Rey's brow furrowed in confusion and she attempted, once again, to hand Sabe her bank card.  This time, Sabe smiled and kindly shooed her towards the end of the counter.  Obliging her new friend, with sweet thanks, she stayed at the drink counter to await her free beverage and snack.  Behind her a melodious voice bellowed her name "REY KENOBI!"

Rey's head whipped around rapidly and she bit her lip as she searched the coffee shop for her favorite professor, Maz Kanata.   Though Rey was fortunate enough to study under several distinguished professors, she idolized Professor Kanata.  Although she was famed for her knowledge and wisdom, it was her strong sense of compassion and love for her students that had set her apart in Rey's eyes. 

She politely took her beverage from the counter and made her way over the small table where Pr. Kanata sat with an elegant woman wearing a navy blue Chanel suit. Rey instantly recognized the regal woman as Leia Organa. Leia Organa was considered royalty among the Coruscanti legal world. She was a prominent partner at Organa Skywalker, LLC, one of the largest and successful employment law firms in the country and had a reputation as a fierce litigator. As such, she regularly graced the pages of Attorneys Weekly with her case law developments and articles on general employment law matters. Rey swallowed a newly formed dry lump in her throat and clutched her coffee and snack bag as she approached her mentor and professional hero.  

Maz, however, was not as easily awed as her mentee, and casually introduced Rey to “Leia” as "her favorite student of all time, the one she was always telling her about," and invited Rey to take a seat between the two. “So Rey, what’s on the schedule for today? Are you still working at that ridiculous excuse for a law firm? Or have you finally realized that you’re far too good for that place?

A flush spread over Rey's cheeks as she roughly pulled a chair towards the table.  Although she thrilled to no longer be working for Unkar, the wound was still too raw to discuss.  Her lips pressed into a straight line as she contemplated how she might answer the question diplomatically.  "Not quite" she answered with a forced casual tone.   Her hazel eyes darted quickly to her watch, which had been Finn's gift to her upon graduation and continued "actually, I have an interview scheduled at First Order, LLC in approximately fifty-two minutes." 

 

Leia snorted into her tea and shared a meaningful glance with the ever wise Maz Kanata. This did not escape Rey’s notice as she pursed her lips in confusion. Sensing her apprehension Leia said “well, based on all Maz has told me about you, they would be foolish to turn you away. But” she dropped her voice slightly before continuing “if you don't feel like it’s a good fit, please feel free to stop by my office afterwards. It is located right across the hall, as we also have an opening for our paralegal position…for the right person, of course.” She raised the tea to her lips and winked subtly at Rey.

Rey felt her posture slacken as she tilted her head slightly, as she gaped at Lei----Attorney Organa's words.  "Are you joking?" she asked tentatively, waiting for the woman to burst out in laughter. Her palms began to sweat as she considered her words; First Order, LLC was also a renowned employment law firm, which was also featured regularly in Attorneys Weekly. In fact, it seemed like a golden goose had landed in her lap, landing an interview there in such short time…

Receiving no response to her question, Rey unconsciously tapped the fingers of her right hand against her cheek as she listened to the ceaseless chatter of the two women before her.  Unable to decipher the hidden meaning in Attorney Organa's offer, she mixed the granola into her yogurt parfait and began to shovel the food haphazardly into her mouth.  Once she had finished her parfait and coffee, she stood to excuse herself.  A hand gently grasped her thin elbow, almost motherly, as she turned away from the small table; with a small gasp, she turned to discover Attorney Organa extending a chic business card with her information.  Rey picked the card up with her finger and thumb and began to read the contents when Attorney Organa spoke again, "I meant what I said earlier.  Please feel free to stop by after your interview."

 

**********************************************************************************************************************************

Rey quickly crossed the street and entered the lobby of Coruscanti Place. Her jaw dropped in awe as she took in the architecture of the main lobby and atrium. As she peered at her beautiful marble surroundings, the jackrabbit in her belly seemed to relax. What a sight! Rey glanced around breathleasy, greedily devouring the details of the building. Not only the floors, but the walls were made of marble! In the center of the atrium there was a water fountain that was surrounded by -----tables? Where people were eating? Rey practically jumped with excitement at the thought of actually being able to take a bonafide lunch hour. She clasped her hands together in front of her, suppressing a toothy grin, as she checked in at the security desk. “Perhaps change can be positive” she thought as she made her way to the elevators.

She stepped into the first elevator and inhaled sharply rolling her shoulders back as she searched the buttons.  _**That's strange, where's floor number** 27? _ she wondered.  _**Oh!**_ she said as she realized that she was in the wrong elevator.  She pressed the door open button and stepped out and towards the front desk, where she was politely redirected to the correct elevator. 

Finally on her way to the twenty-seventh floor...and her destiny, she quickly popped a mint into her mouth to combat her odious coffee breath.  Her palms dribbled with perspiration as she attempted to straighten her already straight skirt and blouse. The elevator doors slid open quickly and she leapt into the lobby of the twenty-seventh floor and bounded towards the front door of First Order LLC.

A minute after ringing the bell, she was ushered through the front door by a tall, blonde woman, wearing a pressed, nearly metallic grey business suit.  Rey's eyes widened as she took a stared at the woman, carefully surveying her blonde cropped hair, porcelain skin and sapphire blue eyes; _**this woman looks like a glamorous Brienne of Tarth!**_ her inner fangirl screamed. 

Peering at the wall clock, the woman exclaimed "Rey Kenobi, I presume? You’re fifteen minutes early!” 

“I have a tendency to be early for everything. It’s better to be early than late, is it not?” Rey countered raising a single eyebrow. Rey's lungs began to burn as she held her breath while returning the woman's exceedingly critical stare.  Rey swore she could have heard a pin drop as the two remained locked in a heated staring contest.  After an eternity, the woman's fierce expression dissipated into vivacious laughter.  Rey exhaled and began to chuckle herself.

“I believe you’ll fit in quite nicely here” she assured Rey. “I’m Gwen Phasma, the Office Administrator. It’s so nice to meet you” she stated confidently, while extending her perfectly manicured hand to shake Rey’s.

  
“Has anyone ever told you that you strongly resemble the actress that plays Brienne of Tarth?” Rey blurted out as she grasped Ms. Phasma's remarkably moisturized hand. “Although, you’re much prettier” she added. Despite the fact that many considered Brienne’s story arc to be dull, she was one of Rey’s favorite characters, especially in the novels.

“Really?” she asked, obviously intrigued by the comparison. “No, I’ve not heard that. But you know-----" she peered over her shoulder quickly---"Brienne is my favorite character.” She paused, tipping her head to consider Rey once again. “Yes, I think you’ll do quite nicely, please follow me, the conference room is this way”.

Rey offered a muted fangirl smile as she followed Ms. Phasma down a stark white, brightly lit corridor that opened up to an open space where there were several cubicles situated under fluorescent lighting. A young a man, the same young man from the bar was seated in one of the cubicles. Under the painful fluorescent lighting, she recognized him as her former classmate, Dopheld Mitaka! Rey was not only relieved to see a familiar face in a strange place, but excited as she and Mitaka had worked on several successful projects during their last semester at the University. As she approached, her critical eye noted several alterations in his appearance. His pale, but handsome face now possessed faint frown lines and dark under eye circles that made her dark circles look like mere child’s play! He peered up at her from behind the large mountain of paperwork that he was working on, and flashed her a small smile that did not quite reach his hollow eyes as she passed his cubicle.

Beyond the open space that housed the staff cubicles there was another corridor where the attorney offices were located. Rey read the names of the attorneys as she passed. Robert Tarkin, Associate…A. Brendol Hux, Partner. “A. Brendol Hux?” Rey mused. “I wonder what the “A” stands for. It must be terrible if he styles -------“. A door slammed violently down the hall, disturbing Rey’s thought process. She looked over her shoulder to see where the sound had come from before glancing at Ms. Phasma to gauge her reaction. Much to her surprise, Ms. Phasma took no notice of the unprofessional behavior leading Rey to wonder if such events were commonplace here. She cringed at the thought.

“Here we are” Ms. Phasma announced as she grandly gestured towards the open door. “Please take a seat and I will let Attorney Hux know you are here.” She smiled and added “he will be pleased that you are early”.  
“Thank you” Rey answered as Ms. Phasma left her alone in the conference room. Rey investigated her surroundings as she awaited the presence of Attorney Hux. The walls of the room were painted the same stark white shade as the corridors, which contrasted sharply with the black, glass covered, boardroom table and coordinating leather covered chairs. The entire left wall was comprised of windows that offered an exquisite view of the city. Rey placed her purse, as well as the manila folder that contained copies of her resume and references on the glass table, taking great pains to not mark the pristine glass with her fingerprints. Rather than run the risk of sullying the table, she moved to the window to take in the view of the city, clasping her hands tightly behind her back.

Time passed and seconds turned into minutes, her nerves growing with each minute that the attorney did not appear. She wondered if perhaps she was invited by mistake and that Ms. Phasma would burst through the doors dismissing her at moment. Her fears were quieted however when Ms. Phasma, who seemed a bit out of spirits, returned to advise her that Attorney Hux had been kept late on a conference call and that she would be interviewing with his partner instead.

Rey nodded patiently, and resumed her station by the window. “Is it warm in here or is it me?” she whispered to herself as her palms began to sweat. She inhaled deeply through her nose and exhaled through her mouth in an attempt to relax and center her thoughts. Unfortunately, she could only think of Attorney Organa’s offhand comment earlier and the haunted look in Mitaka’s dark eyes. As she tried to make sense of what it all meant, the answer surfaced in the sound of the conference room door slamming shut behind her. Rey startled and turned around to discover that she was to be interviewed by none other than Mr. Jerk Face!


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The inevitable interview...

Kylo looked up from his golf club as he heard a loud knock at his door. A moment later, the door swung open, admitting Phasma. Wordlessly, he returned to his game.

Ignoring his rude reception, Phasma quickly explained the purpose of her visit; Attorney Hux, the hiring partner, had been held up on a conference call and would not be able to interview Kylo’s prospective assistant. 

“So what are you going to do about it?” he asked as he tapped the golf ball towards the First Order brand coffee mug lying on the floor.

"Hux said that you are quite capable of conducting the interview in his place” she explained, clutching the resume in her hands nervously.

His jaw clenched at the thought. “I thought I told you two that I hate interviewing staff candidates? Which part of that did you fail to understand? Why don’t you just reschedule the interview?” he snarled as he continued his game.

“Because the candidate has already been waiting in the Board Room for nearly twenty minutes and it would be rude to do so. Also, to be honest, I like this candidate. She may be interviewing elsewhere, and I really don’t want to pass her up to another firm. Based on her academics, experience and personality, I think she will make an excellent addition here.” What she did not say, is that Rey seemed like the type of woman to give Ren a run for his money, which would be a nice change for everyone in the office. She continued “besides, you are never happy with the candidates that we choose to hire. I am sick and tired of interviewing people for this position, only for them to quit barely a week into their employment. If you want a new assistant, you’re going to have to interview the candidates yourself.” 

Kylo rolled his eyes as he angrily shoved the golf club into the dusty golf bag that had not seen the light of day in years. Phasma flinched, but she held her ground. “Let me see the resume” he growled as he roughly grabbed the resume from the administrator's hand. He turned away from her to read it over; although he hated to admit it, this Rey Kenobi did seem to have exemplary credentials. “But so had several of the others, and they had all disappointed him. Well-crafted resumes were full of empty promises” he thought to himself. He turned the variables over in his mind; the fact that Phasma openly commended this woman piqued his curiosity. Phasma had never admitted to "liking" any of the others, leaving him to wonder what exactly set this Rey Kenobi apart from the rest, besides the fact that she was fluent in Shyriiwook. That was an impressive feat in itself considering that Kylo had only ever been able to master several basic phrases of the complex language. “She’s in the Board Room?” 

“She is. I’ll let her know that you'll be in to interview with her shortly” Phasma replied quickly as she opened the door to leave. “Ren, I'm serious. I really like this one, so don’t screw it up!” she snapped before closing the door behind her. 

Kylo collected his thoughts as he stalked towards the Board Room. He replayed the events from earlier in the week as he walked; his newest assistant, whose name escaped him, had started on Monday. She seemed like an excellent candidate based on her academics; she had graduated with high honors from the University of Naboo, and also had outstanding references…or so he was told. Unfortunately, she did not seem to have practical experience or more importantly, thick skin. She had fled his office after he offered her some constructive criticism upon discovering that she screwed up his coffee order. Kylo rolled his eyes as he recalled the woman's dramatic departure that day as he entered the Board Room, slamming the door behind him. The sound of the door slamming shut startled the young woman peering out the window. Kylo blinked several times as his eyes adjusted to her impossibly bright pink shirt. 

When she turned to look at him, Kylo Ren understood Phasma’s approval. Recognition flitted across her features, and the scene from the coffee shop played again in his mind. He had spent the better part of the evening thinking about that humiliating moment, and although he had been furious that she had the nerve to confront him in such a manner, he eventually admitted to himself that he not only respected her bold attitude, but he even admired it. As she struggled to mask her obvious displeasure at seeing him, he realized that he had found the perfect assistant.

**************************************************************************************************************************

“The girl I’ve heard so much about…Rey Kenobi, is it?” Mr. Jerk Face asked smoothly in his baritone voice, his dark eyes shining with amusement. 

“Actually, I think there’s some mistake. I was just leaving” Rey replied briskly as she picked up her things. 

Not taking the hint, he asked “are you not Rey Kenobi?” He looked at the resume in his hand briefly before returning his dark gaze to Rey's countenance.

Rey looked at him in a mixture of confusion and irritation; her stomach knotted over as she wondered if he really going to make her sit through this ordeal. “Of course I am Rey Kenobi" she declared as though it were the most obvious fact in the world.

“Then there’s no mistake” he stated, pulling out a black leather covered chair. “I’m Kylo Ren, the managing partner. Now please take a seat” he commanded, gesturing to the chair that HE had selected.

She bit her bottom lip as she peered at the chair that he offered, and then back at his face. She noted with irritation that he seemed almost gleeful at the turn of events. She gauged from the firm set of his jaw that arguing would be fruitless and that he had every intention of making her follow through with this farce, probably to humiliate her in retaliation for her graceless confrontation the day before. She quickly considered the alternative and concluded that storming out without completing the interview would not only reflect poorly on her as a professional, but could possibly jeopardize her reputation if word got out in the tight knit legal community of Coruscant. She bit the insides of her cheeks and adjusted her posture before nodding and taking a seat in a different chair; if Rey had play this game, she would do so on her own terms. Taking care to not look at his decidedly annoying face, she gently placed her purse on the chair to her left, pulled out her hair clip and roughly clipped her hair up while waiting for Mr. Ren to take his seat. Much to her dismay, he selected the chair to her right, positioning himself so that he was facing her, leaving no more than five inches of space between them. 

Rey’s vexation at his rather bold seating choice manifested itself in the form of sweaty palms. She looked out the window, listening absentmindedly as he began to explain exactly what he expected from her as his secretary. She frowned at that last word; if she had not lost interest in the position when she realized who she was interviewing with, she would have been sorely disappointed to discover that she was, in fact, interviewing for a legal secretary position, and not a paralegal position. She unconsciously began to chew at her top lip as he continued to speak. “Is he ever going to stop talking?” she wondered. As the minutes dragged on, trapped with only her dashed hopes and the obnoxious man before her, she became increasingly thankful for Attorney Organa’s invitation. 

“So now that you know what I expect of you, why don’t you tell me a bit about you?” he asked, seeming sincere. His dark eyes did not leave her face for an instant, and her cheeks began to grow warm under the heat of his gaze. Aware that she was blushing, she only blushed harder in embarrassment. Rey closed her eyes for a moment while she attempted to summon every ounce of professionalism that she possessed. She opened her eyes and politely listed her academic achievements and provided a brief history of her professional experience. “The sooner I finish, the sooner I can leave this mess behind me” she thought as she went through the motions.

An awkward moment of silence ensued once Rey concluded her explanation. Mr. Ren leaned back in his seat, and tipped his head slightly to the right as he continued to survey her, wearing an expression of disappointment. “This may come as a surprise to you, but I can read. So why don’t you tell me something about yourself that I can’t glean from the resume in my hand” he challenged, raising a single eyebrow almost imperceptibly.

“Is this guy serious right now?” Rey asked herself. First of all there was no way she would ever want to work for this asshole. Secondly, even if she had any interest in the job, which she most certainly did not, he definitely was not going to hire her after her tantrum yesterday, so why did he have to drag this out? Why did he feel the need to make it personal? “There’s not much to tell” Rey replied coolly as she folded her hands on her lap and averted her eyes to the view of Coruscant’s skyline.

“Do you always make it a point to lie to your interviewer or should I consider myself special?” he deadpanned. He leaned forward in his seat, officially invading Rey’s personal space, as he bridged the gap between them.

Rey’s face contorted into an expression of disbelief, her eyebrows furrowed her jaw went slack. “Excuse me? I’m not lying!” she seethed.

Mr. Ren was so close that Rey could smell the Giorgio Armani cologne that lingered on his black collared shirt. From her new viewpoint, Rey could now see that his long, pale visage was littered with small beauty marks, and that his full pink lips were painfully chapped. Her eyes roved over his long nose before returning to his eyes, offering him a bold glare that she reserved only for special occasions. Her face burned at his accusation, and as he continued to stare, she felt as though he could see the very essence of her soul or whatever remained of it after working for Unkar for so long.

“To me or to yourself?” he murmured quietly. His expression softened as she watched her cross her arms defensively and attempt to distance herself. "That's what I thought" he all but whispered only moments before the shrill wail of a fire alarm pierced the tense air of the room. 

Seizing the opportunity to extricate herself from this all-too-real nightmare, Rey grabbed her purse and sprinted out of the conference room before her interviewer even realized what had happened. 

“We’re not finished!” he shouted as he watched her barrel down the corridor with the grace of a gazelle pursued by a lion. Making no answer, she continued to sprint towards the exit, although she could not say with certainty what exactly she was running from.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I tried posting this last night, but it didn't seem to post. It took several attempts, so I apologize to those of you that received several notifications. Yikes! 
> 
> I will try to update on a weekly basis going forward. 
> 
> P.S. Hope you all enjoyed the update!


	5. Chapter Five

Kylo groaned as he stepped into his now dark office, and the lights flickered on automatically.  His quads seemed to scream at him for running up and down ten flights of stairs in the hopes of catching his runaway candidate.  Much to his chagrin, she was nowhere to be found.   He was utterly baffled at how she had managed to run so fast.  It just didn’t seem possible that she could have outrun him.   Shaking his head he collapsed into his black, leather covered executive style chair, shoving a large hand roughly through his hair, as a rare chuckle escaped his lips while he thought of how fast Ms. Kenobi had fled at the sound of a simple test of the fire alarm system.  It really was hilarious the more he thought about it. 

The laughter died on his lips as an irate Hux barged into his office unceremoniously.  “What is the meaning of this?” he asked as he held up what appeared to be a shoe dangling from his customized pen.   

Kylo shrugged “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

 “Oh, but I think you do” he crossed the room before continuing “I nearly broke my neck tripping over this _thing_ in the hallway and decided to make a few inquiries.”   Now in front of his desk he slammed the woman’s shoe in front of Kylo and angrily pulled a monogrammed handkerchief out of his pocket to wipe his _contaminated_ pen.  Kylo examined the shoe in front of him without touching it, and the gears in his brain clicked as he realized that this shoe belonged to Ms. Kenobi.  He had to bite the side of his cheek to keep from chuckling at the thought of her sprinting down twenty-seven flights of stairs, unknowingly missing a shoe. 

 “Amused, are you?” Hux queried.  “I can’t say I was amused when I heard the Cinderella story that certain staff members are telling.”

“That’s ridiculous.  Who told you------“

“How you _chased_ a young woman out of this office!” Hux snarled, his blue eyes blazing with cold fury as he slammed his hand on Kylo’s desk. 

“That’s not true.  Who the hell-----“ he was cut off yet again by his rival.

“It doesn’t matter who told me, I had three people confirm it.  They were so **_disturbed_** that Phasma felt it was _necessary_ to notify Mr. Snoke” he sneered, and returned the mankerchief to his pocket.

“Of course she felt it was _necessary_ , since you told her it was” Kylo fumed, but decided not to worry too much over it.  Mr. Snoke understood that Hux was a jealous, sniveling rat.  He had initially been in line to take Mr. Snoke’s position upon retirement, and was devastated when Mr. Snoke recruited Kylo directly out of law school and began to groom him for the very same position.  He was scheduled to retire at the end of this business week, and it was all but official that Kylo would be taking over in his place, which obviously worried Hux, for more than one reason.

“You don’t think it’s necessary to notify the founding partner that young women are _fleeing_ from our office?  I know you’re a _creep_ , but I didn’t know that was the norm around here” Hux challenged.  His eyes narrowed into a glare as he locked eyes with Kylo “he’s furious.  I just thought you’d like to know” as the corners of his lips stretched into a triumphant smirk. 

Feeling victorious, Hux stood to his full height and made to leave, stopping only once at the door to glare at his rival.  He slammed the door so hard behind him that the door rattled and the frame holding Kylo’s law degree on the adjacent wall fell to the floor and shattered.

“AGH!” he bellowed in frustration as he stood to survey the mess, his hands clenched in fists.  He kicked at the broken glass and picked up his degree; he held his entire adult life in his hands.  He glanced around the office taking it all in, everything he had spent the last six years working for.  With the exception of one wall, where he had newspapers detailing his courtroom triumphs, his office was painfully bare.  Where most of his colleagues had pictures of their loved ones on their desks, he had a lonely urn containing the ashes of his late grandfather and a single 4x6 sized photo of him and his mother on graduation day.

 “It will have all been worth it” he promised himself.   All of the late nights, missed weekends, missed sleep, heartbreak and zero vacation time will have made this all possible.  He would finally be _happy._

Placing the degree on his desk he crossed the room to the coat closet and removed the dry cleaning bag containing his tuxedo.  He exited the office through the back door and made his way to the shared Men’s Room next to his mother’s office.  As he grasped the doorknob to the restroom, he was distracted by his mother’s regal voice and a bright flash of pink.

“It was so nice to meet you Rey, and we are so glad you’ve decided to join our team” Leia said as she placed a motherly hand on the shoulder of a slender brunette wearing a neon pink blouse. 

“Thank you!” he heard the girl gush with barely contained excitement.   The elevator bell rang and he stood transfixed as he watched the elusive Ms. Kenobi leave. He checked her feet and to his surprise she had on a different pair of shoes, black flats.   _ **Did this girl seriously carry around a spare pair of shoes?  Was she a Boy Scout or something?**_

Bewildered by the recent turn of events, he stood there trying to determine exactly what had happened.  His thought process was disturbed however when his mother waved a hand in his face, attempting to get his attention.  “Ben?  What are you doing?” Leia asked curiously, her head tilted slightly to the right.  “Also, you should probably close your mouth before you swallow a fly.”

“Who was that?” he inquired, knowing perfectly well who it was.

Leia peered towards the elevator bank before replying “my new paralegal.”  She took a step closer and lowered her voice “by the way, you may want to say something to Hux once that promotion is official.”

Kylo cocked a single brow “what makes you say that?”

“I know he’s the hiring attorney there, and she described her experience there as ‘less than pleasant.’  Don’t get me wrong, I had a good laugh when she told me that she sprinted out of there during the fire system test, but there must be something wrong in how he conducted the interview if people are literally running out of the room like their lives depend on it.   I wish I had been a fly on the wall when it happened …I would have loved to see the look on his face as she hightailed it away from him.” Leia laughed, shaking her head at the scene.

Kylo felt his ears start to burn, and thanked the Maker for his long hair. **_Less than pleasant? What the hell is that supposed to mean?  I was a kriffing gentleman to her!_** Kylo fumed.   His nostrils flared as his grip tightened on the clothing bag holding his tuxedo.   **_What the actual f$%^!_** He mulled over his mother’s words, and as he did, cold dread seeped through his bones like water on an off brand paper towel.  **_What if Hux wasn’t bluffing?_**

“Is everything okay?” Leia asked, her soft brown eyes filled with concern.  “You’re not nervous about tonight are you?”

“Nope.  I----uh-----just have to use the bathroom, change and we can be on our way actually” he lied, pushing the door open.

  ***********************************************************************************

By the time they had reached the Taj Hotel-Coruscant, Kylo’s hands were beaded over with perspiration and he was fairly certain that he had chewed off all of the skin on his inner lip.  He ran the tip of his tongue over the chewed flesh and inhaled sharply through his nose as he spotted the Grand Ballroom upstairs. 

They slowly ascended the plush carpeted stairs and paused for a moment before entering ballroom.  Kylo inhaled through his nose and exhaled through his mouth, rolled his shoulders back and prepared to meet his destiny; a destiny he had spent years building, sacrificing the simple joys that most people took for granted.  He looked down at his petite mother, who was stunning in her royal blue Chanel dress, elaborate braids and simple strand of pearls.  She beamed with pride as she looked up at her son, and gestured for them to enter the room with a slight nod of her head. 

They were stopped by a young pimpled waiter carrying a silver tray with crystal champagne flutes.  Kylo gently handed a flute to his mother and took one for himself.   Leia raised the glass to him and they toasted each other.  Although an official statement had yet to be released, it was well known that Snoke intended to announce the fact that Kylo would be taking over the firm upon his retirement.   Once their champagne flutes were drained they placed them on the waiter’s tray and continued their promenade around the opulent ballroom. 

Kylo stopped to introduce Leia to several of the other partners, taking great pains to avoid Hux and his companion; a leggy brunette, with finely sculpted cheek bones and an ostentatious two carat diamond ring that glittered on the fourth finger of her left hand.    Leia felt her son’s grip tighten on her arm as the familiar brunette turned towards them, her nostrils flaring in recognition of her son’s ex-girlfriend and former secretary.  Leia raised her eyes to her son’s face, noted his clenched jaw and gently turned him towards the table that held the seating chart. 

“Oh look, table number thirteen.  The number thirteen is considered a lucky number in Ewok culture” Leia said, attempting to lighten the mood. 

Kylo nodded absentmindedly.  “Why don’t you go take a seat?  I’m going to grab a drink.  Do you want anything?”

“Oh no, that champagne was enough for me” Leia assured him with a wave of her hand.

Upon taking her seat for the evening, Leia silently inspected the extravagant décor of the room; in the center of the room hung a lavish chandelier that draped the black table cloths, black cloth napkins and polished silverware in a soft glow.  At the center of each table stood painfully perfect centerpieces comprised of the reddest roses that she had ever seen.  Combined with the soft red uplighting that danced across the marble walls, the décor seemed almost ominous to her keen eye and her stomach lurched at the thought.  Something seemed off to her, but with nothing more than sumptuous décor to prove her theory, she pressed her lips into a firm line and piqued her ears up to listen to the chatter of the room that mingled with generic jazz music.

She turned to discover that Kylo had found their seats and was now fully engrossed in drinking his whiskey and inspecting the intricate pattern of the tablecloth.

“Are you nervous?” she asked him.

Kylo looked up from his drink and considered her question.  He did not have the heart to tell his mother that it had been him that apparently chased Rey away.  He hoped that the whiskey would soften the sting of her rejection.  Ever since he had discovered Marissa with Hux, he had not been able to keep a secretary; but he had hoped that Rey would be different.  _**She is different; dedicated, professional and above all hardworking.  But perhaps she could still be persuaded; everyone had a price, EVERYONE.**_

“How much did you offer your new paralegal?” he asked.

“What are you talking-----“Leia was interrupted by the screech of a microphone.  Their conversation cut short, they both looked towards stage where Hux was adjusting the microphone at the podium stand signaling that it was time for the highly anticipated announcement.  

As he adjusted the microphone, Leia reached over to grab Kylo’s dry, warm hand and offered him a wry smile.  No matter the outcome, she was here to support her hardworking son.  She regretted the school pageants, and field trips that she had missed during his formative years while attempting to blaze a trail of her own in the legal world.   Without a doubt she had succeeded; winning many rights for women in the workplace, more specifically rights for mothers in the workplace.  However, her success cost her dearly, as she missed out on much of her son’s upbringing. 

With all eyes on him, Hux began to address the crowd, obviously pleased to be the center of attention.  He placed his spindly fingers on the smooth wood of the podium, looking down as though he were going to read to the crowd from the Gospel. “Good evening everyone.  I’d like to thank you all for joining us this evening as we bid farewell to our esteemed founding Partner, Donovan Snoke.” 

Leia and Kylo rolled their eyes as Hux obnoxiously clapped his hands for his own speech.

Mild applause littered the room as the ailing man crept towards the podium with a condescending gait.  Ever the sycophant, Hux nodded emphatically as an unnatural smile crossed his cold features before stepping down from the podium to make way for the honored retiree.  Mr. Snoke made a great show of wiping his crocodile tears from his gaunt cheeks with his designer handkerchief before he began his speech, which included a brief history of the firm and its future prospects.  He paused for a moment and pointedly stared at Kylo and offered him a seemingly encouraging smile.

A hush fell over the room as all eyes turned towards Kylo, whose breathing now labored harshly through the nostrils in his aquiline nose.  His fingers flexed tightly over the seams of the cloth napkin as his Adam’s apple bobbed at his throat.   **_I knew he would take my side, there was nothing to worry about,_** he thought to himself.  His tense upper body relaxed and a small smile graced his full pout as he laughed at Hux and his empty threats.

The old man’s smile turned into a smirk as he announced his successor: _Armitage Hux_. 

The room erupted in applause as the redheaded attorney made his way to the podium to accept his role as official leader like an eager beauty pageant winner.  All he needed was a sash that read _Firm’s Biggest Brownnoser_.   Although most of the audience hung on every word of his bombastic speech, his words fell on deaf ears at Table 13, where the lone occupants silently stood and quickly moved to exit the room. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will Kylo stay and work under Hux? Does Hux only carry a handkerchief because Snoke did? Will Rey ever get her shoe back? 
> 
> Also, as for the building set up, Coruscanti Place is a circular office building. So the back door that Kylo exits leads to the other side of the building a.k.a Leia's office. Also, the two offices have to share bathrooms, so that is why Kylo has to use the bathroom next to his mother's office. 
> 
> Thank you again for reading! Don't kill me but I did make some minor diction revisions to chapters 1, 2 and 3. Same plot, but told differently. Enjoy!


	6. Chapter Six

Rey was greeted the following Monday by the Office Manager for Organa Skywalker LLC, Mr. Threepio.  He was a tall, slender man, who wore an impossibly pressed pair of black slacks and a white button down shirt, which he topped off with an absurd amber colored bowtie and horn rimmed spectacles that contrasted sharply with his silver hair.   The doors had not closed completely behind Rey at 8:50 a.m. that morning before Mr. Threepio began his solemn welcome speech, during which he herded her towards the conference room where she would complete her New Hire Orientation.    

Threepio seated himself with the majesty of a queen on her coronation day in the chair at the head of table.  Before he could commence the training, he also felt that he must arrange the neatly stacked paperwork before him.  The sound of paperwork being shuffled and re-shuffled reverberated in Rey’s skull as she seated herself three seats down from his Majesty.   When he finally began to speak Rey felt her eyelids grow heavy as he began to methodically and mercilessly review the training manuals in fine detail.  _If a computer could masquerade as a human, she imagined that it would look and act like Threepio,_ Rey thought to herself.  Unlike First Order LLC, there were no windows in this conference room, so the only thing that kept Rey among the waking world was the semi-regular pulse of her cell phone in her purse.   

Despite the fact that Rey had not so much as glanced at her ringing phone, Threepio seemed perturbed by its very presence and made sure to voice his feelings on the subject.  “Ms. Kenobi, I do hope you aren’t one of those employees that spend the majority of their time texting and surfing through their MyForceSpaces or whatever it is that young people use nowadays” to which Rey suppressed a giggle.   No one, except perhaps the creator, had used a MyForceSpace in well over a decade.  “Your phone has been ringing off the proverbial hook all morning, so I must ask you to please turn it off for the remainder of your training.” 

“Of course” Rey conceded and leaned over in her chair, extending a hand towards her pocket book.  She did not even look to see who was pestering her, and instead simply pushed the button to turn it off.  

Appeased, Threepio continued to drone on about everything he deemed important and essential, which made for quite a list!  Rey scribbled notes on her legal pad hurriedly, ignoring the newly formed blister on her index finger.   Looking down at the road map before her, she silently reflected that she should probably just relax with the furious note taking, because she would pick everything up quickly enough once she threw herself into the actual work. 

At roughly noon even Threepio needed a break from his drawn out speech.  “Ms. Kenobi----“

“You can call me Rey if you’d like” Rey interjected with a touch of impatience.

“Ms. Kenobi, I’m famished and typically take my lunch at exactly noon.  Everyone is granted one hour for lunch.  It seems to me that now would be the best time for you to take your lunch hour.  Please meet me back here in sixty minutes” he said effectively dismissing her. 

Rey observed his stiff gait as he retreated from the room, shaking her head slightly at the ludicrous man.  She stood from her and stretched her arms above her back, attempting to wake herself up before exiting herself.   She glanced around her and assessed her new workplace as she walked to the front door.  The pear green walls, coupled with cedar wall-to-wall carpeting, and mahogany furniture created a cozy air that eased Rey’s nerves.   She craned her neck nervously towards the glass doors across the hall, ensuring that the coast was clear of tall, dark haired men.  Confident that Kylo Ren would not run around the corner, she stepped cautiously through the front door and made her way towards the elevator.    

Rey’s cheeks grew warm as the memory of Mr. Ren’s face so close to her own flashed through her mind.  Blinking the scene away she hopped into the elevator, and released the air that she had been unconsciously holding in her lungs.     

As the elevator doors swept closed behind her she pushed the button for the lobby and pulled her cell phone from her bag.  Her cell phone greeted her with an angry vibration when it finally turned on.  She peered at the multiple ribbons flashing across the screen and felt her chest constrict at the number of missed calls and voicemail messages. 

Having the day to herself on Friday proved to be desolate as she had spent the day avoiding hourly calls from Unkar Plutt and reliving her shamefully nutty exit from her interview with Mr. Ren.  The former attempted to bait her with lengthy voicemails that were menacing, degrading and angry, and alternated with messages that were filled with empty promises of change.  Although Rey refused to dignify his remarks with a response, she had spent the day both seething at the nasty remarks he made about her and mourning the loss of her favorite shoe.

When the elevator doors opened she bounded through the lobby and out into the busy street that brimmed with life under the blazing midday sun.  She grinned as she finally pushed through the door at FiveBucks and stepped towards the line. 

Not wanting to open her phone and the face the barrage of threatening voicemail messages that were undoubtedly left by Unkar, she instead studied the detailing of the earthy wooden floor, perfectly oblivious to everything and everyone, including the person calling her name.   She was finally pulled from her reverie when a pair of designer clad feet stepped into her line of sight.  Her eyes drifted lazily to the face of the wearer and a shy smile snaked its way across her features as she met Leia’s gaze. 

“What are you doing here all alone?  Threepio should have had the girls take you out for lunch on your first day” she asked, exasperated at this minor oversight.

Without the slightest clue as to who “the girls” were, Rey simply shrugged.

“Well, if you’d like to join me I’d appreciate the company” Leia offered.  “In fact, why don’t you join me.  I’m here with my son for a lunch date and I’m sure he’d love to meet you!  Here, I’ll bring you over.  Don’t worry about time! ----she shook her head---I won’t take no for an answer.”

Rey followed behind in Leia’s wake.  **_Who knew that Leia had a son?   I wonder if he takes after her,_** she thought as her eyes darted around the room nervously.

“Here we are.  Ben, I’d like you to meet my new friend here---Rey.” 

As Rey stepped out from behind Leia her eyes opened wide as she was brought face to face with Kylo Ren!   He looked towards her feet and Rey felt her cheeks grow warm as his dark eyes slowly drifted over her, as in assessment, before he met her gaze.  The corners of his lips tugged into a small smile, not a smirk, and he stood to shake her hand.  “Kylo Ren, it’s _soo_ nice to meet you Ms. Kenobi.  Or may I call you _Rey_?”

Rey swallowed the dry lump that had formed in her throat and extended her hand hesitantly to be polite.   “Sure, sure.  Nice to meet you too” she muttered almost inaudibly.  Her breath caught as he stepped forward and took her hand in his own.  She attempted to withdraw it as quickly as possible, but found it was quite caught in his iron grip. 

Leia clapped her hands on Rey’s shoulder exuberantly pushing her into the seat next to her own and offered her the menu.   Rey studied the menu as though her life depended upon it, but somehow never read any of the actual options while Leia chattered on with Kylo about who knew what because Rey could not hear over the sound of her heart pounding in her ears. 

The sound of Leia saying her name forced her from her hiding spot behind the menu.  She slowly lowered the oversized booklet and focused on Leia’s gentle face.  “So do you know what you want? I am probably just going to get up and order now that the line is empty.”

“Ummm, a grande iced coffee and a raspberry scone is enough for me” she assured her, as guilt traced its way up and down her spine at the idea of someone buying her lunch.  She could feel the weight of his gaze lingering on her face, but she refused to let him get the best of her…again.

“A coffee and a scone for lunch?  Didn’t you look at their new menu?  You’ve certainly been hiding behind it long enough.  Yeah, they serve lunch now, why don’t you try one of the sandwiches?  I can vouch for their BLT.  It’s delicious.  I’ll get you a sandwich, okay?” she stated rather than asked as she walked to the counter to order.

Rey offered a smile and nodded in agreement.  She did like BLT, in fact, it was one of her favorite sandwiches, but she also felt like she was taking advantage of Leia’s generosity.  She shifted stiffly in her seat, shifting her gaze to the light scratches in the surface of the worn wooden table.  Her belly lurched and her intestines seemed to writhe like a nest of vicious snakes.

Kylo, however, was not so easily dissuaded.  Sensing her embarrassment he leaned towards her to whisper “I’m glad to see you made it out alive.  That was quite a fire drill we had, wasn’t it?”

Rey closed her eyes tightly and fought to suppress a giggle at her own stupidity, and despite straining what felt like every single muscle in her face painfully, a small giggle escaped her lips.   “I should apologize for running off like that” she admitted as she raised her hazel eyes to meet his.

Her heart beat like the wings of a bird trapped in a cage as they stared each other down, each waiting for the other to speak.   Kylo chuckled “I probably owe you an apology too” he said as he looked towards the counter where Rey had first approached him.  “But I’m not good at apologizing----“

“I’m not either, so we don’t we just consider ourselves even?” Rey interjected. 

Before Kylo could answer Leia returned to the table with the sandwich and coffee in tow.   She set the sandwich and beverage before Rey with all the care of a loving mother, and Rey blushed at the unfamiliar feeling.   The trio continued on cheerfully, with Rey eating her sandwich and Kylo and Leia discussing the latest legal gossip in hushed tones. 

However, all good things must come to an end.  As Rey took the last bite of her oversized sandwich she heard the chime of the door opening.  Out of the corner of her eye she saw Unkar sauntering through the door. As panic washed over her, she unknowingly swallowed her half chewed bit of sandwich and began to sputter, while trying to breathe. 

“Rey? Are you okay?” Leia growing wide with concern as Rey’s face began to color.  “She’s choking!” she cried in panic and began to slap her back. 

To Rey’s distress, the food was firmly lodged in her throat, and she began to pound her hand against her chest desperately.   The spectacle drew in Unkar’s notice and she sat paralyzed in horror as he stepped away from the counter and towards their table.

She was so distracted by Unkar’s approach that she did not register the strong pair of arms wrapped around her sternum.  All it took was one powerful shove and the sandwich piece dislodged itself from her throat and five feet away onto Unkar’s shoe.  She coughed violently as she inhaled, Kylo patting her gently on the back. 

Unkar was not so patient, it would seem, as to allow her time for a decent recovery from what she considered a near death experience.  “You’re not going to introduce me to your new friends?  Do they know that you blew off work to meet with them?”  He peered down at the Rolex on his wrist before continuing “You were due to work over three hours ago.  Now let’s get a move on.”  He offered a terrifying smile, understanding exactly how much he was humiliating her at this point.

Rey had hoped to leave the shame and humiliation of her past behind her the day she stormed out of his Force-forsaken office, but here it was attempting to drag her soul back to hell.  She stood, knocking the chair into Kylo’s knees; she had never desired his good opinion, but somehow her humiliation increased tenfold with him as a front row spectator.  If he didn’t take her seriously before, he never would now, which only seemed to fuel her rage.  She could feel her palms radiating heat, and her fists clenched unceremoniously at her sides as she blurted out “I told you that I _quit._ I couldn’t have been anymore clear, so why don’t you leave me alone?” 

Before he had a chance to respond, Leia interjected herself into the conversation.  “Unkar Plutt, is it?” she asked, a single brow raising as she coldly assessed the man before her with the disgust of a cook who has discovered a rat in their kitchen.----“I’ve heard of you.”

Distracted by the regal woman next to his target, he turned his rotund face to look at her. 

“Yes, I’ve heard of you” she sniffed disdainfully, condemning him in the single sniff of her nose.  “You’ve made quite a name for yourself in the legal community.  People do talk Unkar…and you…you’ve been bullying young women for years.”   She stood to her full height, squaring her shoulders, before moving towards him with her hands on her hips.   She spoke in a hushed tone, forcing Unkar to listen “well let me clue you in, Rey doesn’t work for you anymore.  She works for me----“she pointed to her chest “---- and if I find out you’ve so much as said her name the wrong way, and don’t you worry, I’ll hear, I” she stepped forward and dropped her voice to a hair above a whisper “----will destroy _you._ ” 

Although Rey could not bring herself to look at Kylo, Unkar looked towards him as the blood drained from his face in light of Leia’s promise.  Kylo’s expression was not one easily read, but body language was something entirely different and far more telling.  Kylo was undaunted by the man’s grotesque manners, and much to Rey’s shock he placed a possessive hand on her right shoulder, marking her.  Unkar glanced at his hand understanding exactly how much he had misjudged the situation.  Almost as quickly as he disturbed their small party, he fled as fast as his heavy legs would carry him out of the shop with Leia staring as he stumbled out.

Rey did not care enough to watch him leave, but instead felt herself grow tense as it dawned on her that Kylo was still standing behind her, branding her shoulder with his hand.  Her cheeks tinged pink and she stared at the large hand on her shoulder, but not at his face.  He looked down at her and blinked before quickly removing his hand and stepping away as his mother turned around. 

 “Don’t let that asbestos-scum upset you Rey” Leia said as she picked up her purse.  “We were having such a great lunch, but I suppose we should get going before Threepio sends out a search party for the two of us” she smiled. 

Leia stepped towards Kylo to give him a quick peck on the cheek.  It was rather comical as Kylo needed to bend down to meet, Leia who was standing on her tip toes, and the sight warmed Rey’s heart.   Kylo offered Rey a single nod before the two women left the café. 

Leia accompanied Rey back to the office, asking repeatedly if she was okay.  Rey assured her that she was fine.  Unconvinced, Leia, however, felt that it would be fruitless to push the topic.  Before she could say more the two were apprehended by a blustering Threepio, whining that his new hire was thirty seven seconds late returning from lunch. 

For the second time that day she found herself corralled into the conference room where she was destined to listen to Threepio discuss his favorite hot topics in office etiquette.  Strangely, the only thing she spent the afternoon wondering was why she could feel a phantom hand on her shoulder and why that should make her cheeks warm.


	7. Chapter Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kylo is faced with a decision and Rey thinks about her own.

Kylo strolled in the backdoor to the FIRST ORDER LLC that Monday afternoon with the best of intentions, including cutting his losses and just sticking it out even though he lost out on his beloved promotion, a promotion that he had earned five times over.  But the pragmatist in him figured that at this point, it would be foolish to waste the past six years of his life and so he would take the high road and return, tempting as it was to never go back.

 

He sighed and pushed his hand through his wavy locks and tried to turn the doorknob to enter his office.  He tried again, but the doorknob would not budge.  His brow furrowed in frustration as he pulled the key from his pocket and inserted it into the lock.  Trying again, a low growl escaped his throat as the doorknob refused to budge.   His nostrils flared and he reassured himself that he had good intentions, although what those exact intentions were began to slip away as his frustration mounted. 

 

“Ah, there you are” a nasal voice stated triumphantly from behind him.  Rolling his eyes, he turned towards Hux and put forth a Herculaneum effort to avoid baring his teeth.  He would not let this sniveling snake see his aggravation at the situation that he now found himself in. 

 

“Why don’t you let me open that for you?” Hux offered smoothly, his cold eyes glittering with amusement as he pulled a silver key from his pocket.  He stepped forward brushing past Kylo, and much to Kylo’s irritation, opened the door without issue.

 

Kylo chewed the side of his cheek to hold back a scathing comment that was only too happy to pass his lips if given the opportunity.

 

“Yes, if you had been here Friday or even this morning, you’d know that we moved offices to reflect the updated status of management.  But you’re here now, so allow me to update you” said Hux as he sat in Kylo’s former leather backed chair. 

 

Kylo quickly glanced at the walls and noted that they were now bare, and even the urn containing his grandfather’s ashes and the picture of his mother had been removed.  Thanisson, the office assistant, appeared at the door holding a box containing the missing items, looking nervously at the items, the floor and anywhere but at the owner. 

 

“Ah yes, Thanisson thank you so much for your assistance.  Please just drop them here” Hux sang with the airs of an aristocrat, as he gestured grandly towards the floor space by Kylo’s feet.

 

Thanisson quickly crossed the room and abruptly dropped the box at Kylo’s feet before sprinting out of the room.  The box fell heavily and Kylo winced at the sound of glass shattering, hoping that it was not his grandfather’s urn.  He narrowed his eyes and looked toward Hux, who had a smug smile painted on his lips. 

“How rude of me, please do sit Kylo.  We have much to discuss after all” Hux smirked, quickly washing away the remnants of Kylo’s tattered good intentions. 

 

Kylo sat on the edge of the seat, his eyes boring into Hux’s pale visage.  “And what exactly is there to discuss?  How you’re a cheat?  How you are now in a position you don’t deserve?  A position that you are unfit to handle?” he all but growled through gritted teeth.

 

“Oh no, we are not here to discuss me!”  Rest assured Ren, we are here to discuss _you”_ he announced proudly.  “Yes, we are here to discuss you and the terms that you are expected to keep if you plan to continue your employment here.  I’ve spoken with Snoke and while he agrees that your history of unprofessional behavior, including but not limited to harassing associates, poor time management, and your infamous indiscretions with certain staff members” he paused waiting for the insult to wash over Kylo before continuing “but you do have a sizeable client base here and we would hate to lose that income…” Hux droned on. 

 

Whatever else he began to say did not register in Kylo's mind as he began to process exactly how much he hated the man before him.  Staring at the blank walls, he began to realize that he had wasted so much of his life here and like these walls, he really had nothing to show for it.  He looked away from the stark white walls; they mocked him with in their bareness.  No, instead he surveyed the broken glass at his feet, and it dawned on him, that much like the glass, his dreams had shattered before his very eyes.  Chewing on his lip, he began to wonder, what exactly did he have to show for the past six years? A single box containing the remains of a man long dead, a single photo of the only person in his life, and news clippings of cases that had been successful in the courtroom but had had devastating ramifications in his personal life. 

 

Who would he confide all of this to?  He would go home to an empty apartment in a cold, impersonal high-rise.  His chest began to heave against the constraints of his black button down shirt.  It was not that he had nothing to show for his hard work; it was that he had nothing worthwhile.  When he left here, who would he confide in?  Who would comfort him?  

 

He stood and began to pace, with his hands clasped behind his back, as he pretended to listen to Hux prattle on.  He peered into the box of his possessions and saw the photo of him with his mother, and for the first time he seemed to notice the grey that flecked her glossy chestnut tresses.  His nose whistled and his breathing became rapid and shallow as he realized that she was the only person he had in his life, and that she was growing older now, meaning that one day he would be alone.   

 

 

He peered back at the box holding his few possessions and read the law school diploma “Kylo Ren”.   Kylo Ren, Kylo Ren.  He read it over and over as Hux continued to lecture him on everything that he had done wrong since the day he was born, or at least that's what it felt like.  His heart pounded in his ears and he realized what the inevitable and only next step that he could take…to reclaim his life. 

 

But how?  Where would he even start? He felt bile rise in the back of his throat at the idea of starting over and feeling lost.  His feet stopped moving and he stared once more at the diploma.  He would start by taking back _his name._

 

*******************************************************************************************************************

 

Rey smiled at the flowers her coworkers had gifted her with her first week, blooming alive and well on the windowsill in her _very own_ office.  The last three weeks had been a whirlwind with training and familiarizing herself with her caseload.   As busy as she was though, she was able to and even encouraged to leave the office at five o’clock every single afternoon, which somehow left her feeling rather guilty. 

 

In fact, ever since she had left Unkar’s and everything had fallen into place better than she could have ever hoped, but a feeling of unease seemed to follow her like a somber cloud on a sunny day.  It crept up on her when she was eating her lunch.  It loomed over her when she went for her solitary run after work.  It was especially vicious in its persecution when she joined Finn and Poe for dinner and noticed the “secret” glances they shared over their beer glasses when they thought no one was looking.  They were about as subtle as a gun, but that was not for her to point out.  

 

She had left Unkar and his toxic office behind, but still she could not sleep.  She lay awake at night staring at the ceiling, her muscles stiff from running vigorously, although what she was running from even she could not say.  She spent her nights tossing and turning, worrying that perhaps things were just too…perfect?   But if they were so perfect, why did she feel this way?  During her sleepless nights she would ruminate over each and every thing she had worked on that day, considered each word she had spoken to one of her new coworkers and wondered if she had somehow screwed something up without realizing it?  Insidious and relentless, this feeling haunted her and only relented when security let her pass to the elevator bank each morning instead of turning her away.

 

As if alerted to her present good mood, Threepio appeared at her door, knocking politely.  It truly was the most polite rapping at the door that she had ever heard, and she secretly wondered if he had practiced to perfect it.  She didn’t have any proof per se, but…

 

 

“Good morning Ms. Kenobi.  May I have a moment of your time?” he queried politely, his tense posture giving away his unease at whatever it is that he had to tell her.  He lacked his usual confidence and the way his fingers seemed to pull at his bowtie, one might even think he was slightly distraught.  His words however were perfectly selected, as though he were reading from a script “As you know, Maddie Jones, whom we wished good luck last week has left to pursue her own practice.”

 

Not quite sure where he was going with this, Rey nodded slowly, bidding him to continue, her eyebrows contracting slightly with morbid interest.  Whatever it is that he had to say, it could not be great the nagging voice in the back of her mind assured her. 

 

“In her place we have taken on new counsel, a Mr. Solo.”

 

“Han Solo?! As in _the_ Han Solo?!” Rey asked, her voice piquing with excitement.  “I didn’t know he practiced employment law.  I used to watch him on television when I was younger; he was the reason I wanted to work in the law!” Rey gushed like a starstruck teenager.

 

“Not quite.  No, not him.   A rather _different_ Solo actually.  Absolutely, in no way, connected to _Han Solo_ ” said Threepio, sweeping his hands in the air dramatically, his thin lips set in a firm line that said nothing, but hinted at much more.

 

“Oh” Rey replied flatly, all enthusiasm vacuumed away with Threepio’s answer.

 

“Sorry to disappoint.  I myself enjoyed that reality program.  Anyhow, the Mr. Solo in question will be starting today and has declared that his office is unfit at present.  Apparently the office requires some minor redecoration, and so he will be working remotely for the next few days.” Threepio handed her a rubber stamp bearing Mr. Solo’s signature, explained that she would be using the stamp to sign his documents, and then he promptly exited her office.

 

Rey stared at the scrawled signature on the rubber stamp for some time with curiosity.  This Solo must be a strange man, she thought, considering that Maddie’s office, like its former occupant, was beautiful.   She rolled her eyes at the absurdity of the mysterious man and returned to her work. 

 

After Threepio’s _grand_ announcement, her day progressed peacefully.  Scratching item after item off of her to-do list, she let out a sigh of contentment as she approached the last task for the day, proofreading a one hundred page brief to be filed the next day. 

 

On page twenty-nine her peace was shattered by the sound of a hammer and drill next door.  The vibrations filled her ears and seemed to reverberate off the interior of her skull.   Pursing her lips in annoyance, she glared at the source of the noise.  Who knew redecorating could be such a noisy process? Sighing, she returned to the brief, figuring that such a beautiful office could not take so long to fix up and that this minor annoyance would pass quickly enough.   A small chuckle escaped her girlish lips as she came to the facts section.  This case was particularly funny; the plaintiff had been terminated for serenading women at the checkout counter, telling them it was “Karaoke Wednesday”, and seriously creeping them out in the process. It was funny how he decided to sue for discrimination immediately following Rey mused, on the grounds that he had a hearing problem and couldn’t hear himself singing and holding ladies’ hands as they took their receipts.

  

Bang, bang, bang!

 

Rey rolled her eyes at the noise and the ego of the new attorney.  “How spoiled?” she considered aloud, “to be asking for a redecorated office when he’s brand spanking new? Leia is so accommodating.”  Whatever he was, she decided that he could be no worse than Unkar, and she had survived him.  She could survive anything she promised herself as she turned her attention back to the brief in her hands.  It was decidedly tricky though, because her brain was starting to ache from all of the noise next door.   

 

Finally the brief was finished and her suggestions were marked for Snap to review! 

 

“Knock, knock” said Jessika, as the lithe brunette with a cheeky smile entered Rey’s office. 

 

Rey countered Jessika’s beaming smile with a shy smile of her own.  “Hi” said Rey uncertainly. 

 

“I was wondering if you have any plans for after work?” asked Jessika confidently. 

 

“Not really, why? Do you need help with something?” Rey queried.

 

“No!  Don’t be foolish.  I wanted to see if you wanted to join Snap and I for happy hour drinks?” Jessika laughed.

 

Rey’s eyebrows shot straight into her hairline.  Blinking profusely at the offer, she sat in stunned silence.  No one had ever asked her to join them for happy hour drinks before!  “Uh, well, I would----I would l like that very much” she said, scratching her palm, hoping she did not come off as too enthusiastic.

 

“Great! I’ll swing by in ten minutes to grab you!” Jessika answered exuberantly as she sashayed out of the room, her hot pink dress swaying with each step.

 

In an effort to subdue her excitement, Rey tidied up her desk.  While straightening the computer monitor, she squinted at the small clock icon in the right hand corner and smiled; it was already 4:56 p.m. and there were only four minutes before the end of the workday.

 

Her excitement was dimmed ever so slightly when a mechanical voice uttered three horrid little words “you’ve got mail.”  “Oh” was all she said as she opened her inbox.  She had one new message from the mysterious Mr. Solo.  Curious, she clicked on the message and opened it.  Never had she regretted anything more, as the message read:

 

“As you will see, I have attached a few document requests that I need served **_immediately_!  PRINT THEM, STAMP THEM WITH MY SIGNATURE AND MAIL THEM BY CERTIFIED MAIL, RETURN RECEIPTS REQUESTED.  I know that the post office has already picked up for the day, so you’ll have to walk them to the 24 hour post office.   It’s only 10 blocks away.  DO NOT FORGET TO SEND ME THE RECEIPTS! If you have any questions, e-mail them because I’m out for dinner, and I do not believe in mixing business with pleasure.**

**–B**

**P.S., don’t forget to send me those receipts!”**

“What the hell did I just read?” Rey whispered to herself, her face screwed up in disbelief.  She began scrolling through the attachments; there were seven hundred and twenty-seven in total, each 24 pages, totaling 17,448 pages.  “Since when does “a few” mean seven-hundred and twenty-seven?  Whatever” she said to the wall, which seemed to be listening intently.  It wasn’t anything she couldn’t handle.

 

“Ready to go?” Jessika’s girlish voice rang out happily, clashing with the heavy air of disappointment that now polluted Rey’s office.

 

“Um, actually----I can’t make it I’m afraid.  I just got this task at the last minute you see” Rey answered, gesturing towards her monitor where the e-mail still sat open, taunting her with its existence.  Jessika crossed the office to read the message, raising a single eyebrow in disapproval.

 

“Wow, he kind of seems like a total weirdo.  It kind of sounds dirty the way he wrote about mixing “business with pleasure”’ said Jessika, using her fingers to form quotes.  “In fact, I’ve actually never read such a crazy e-mail in all my time with the firm, and believe me, I was warned about all the wonky things attorneys might say by my college advisor.”  Her brow furrowed in deep thought for a quick moment, “Well, maybe it’s just a one-time thing since he’s new.  I would recommend sending it off to be printed professionally if you can” Jessika said.

 

“That’s a good idea.  Only I still have to print off the originals to stamp.  But I’ll do that after.  Thanks!” Rey replied turning back to the documents, as Jessika left.   She printed them off quickly, and took care to stamp each with his name, scanned them and printed the mailing labels.  The printing company arrived around 7 p.m. for pick up. 

 

Rey greeted the young, sweaty boy cheerfully with the box of documents to be copied.   He opened the box and began to count the number of documents with his index finger, silently mouthing numbers.  After getting halfway through the box, he gulped and raised his eyes slowly to meet Rey’s.  “This will take us at least four hours Miss, is that alright?” he asked nervously, as Rey watched a single bead of sweat drip down his sniffling nose. 

 

Rey bit her lip and nodded.  It was not ideal, but at least she could fit in her run while she was waiting.   After watching him leave with the box, she sprinted to her office, closed the door, pulled her running clothes from her bag and put them on.  Grabbing her phone, water, headphones and keycard she made her way down to the lobby and outside. 

 

The dying embers of the sunlight danced across the street, mingling with the shadows cast by the surrounding skyscrapers, and the warm air clung to her skin like a gentle blanket as she began her course through the busy area filled with restaurants, bars and outdoor patio seating.  The night was young, but busy and as she sped down the block she spotted a pair of lovers embracing gently in the shadows of a patio umbrella in the twilight, blissfully unaware of their audience.   Like a bad car accident, Rey could not pull her eyes away from the pair.  Squinting shamelessly she realized that she knew the couple; it was Snap and Jess!  They were obviously having a spectacular time without her. Feeling rather pervy for ogling the pair, she sped up leaving the entire scene behind her. 

 

Her lungs burned and her chest heaved as she picked up her pace.  The feeling that she had struggled to name for weeks washed over her unbidden.  As her chest ached in what she now recognized as loneliness, she ran even harder.  The muscles in her legs screamed in protest, but she continued, hoping that this feeling would pass. 

 

But it did not pass; instead it pursued her relentlessly as she ran five, then six, and a total of seven miles before stopping across the street from Coruscanti Place. She bent over with her hands on her knees as she tried to slow her heart rate and breathing. She looked up at the building with its lights glittering beautifully against the evening sky and let out a deep sigh before crossing the street. Her heart continued to ache as she trudged through the lobby, a sweaty mess, with baby hairs clinging nastily to her cheeks. She licked her lip, which tasted of salt and stepped onto the elevator where she pressed the 27 button savagely. Gritting her teeth, she glared at the marble walls that had delighted her only weeks before. "This will pass. I'm just being silly" she promised the ornate walls. "I'm probably just PMSIng" she lied to herself as she stepped off the elevator and smack dab into a warm stone wall. 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for sticking with me so far. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. It was a tough one, but if I don't update now, I never will. Thank you to ElwynGirlie, the world's best beta! You're the best!


	8. Chapter Seven

“Oh! I’m so sorry! Didn’t see you there Dude!” the large pizza man exclaimed.

“It’s alright. How could you have? Unless you have x-ray vision?” Rey retorted playfully. “Are you looking for someone?”

“Ah, yeah. I was just delivering across the way at the Organa firm or whatever, but no one answered when I rang the bell.”

“Well, I can take whatever it is and deliver it for you! I’m going in now. How much?” she asked as she pulled her sweaty, wrinkled cash from her sports bra.

The delivery man crinkled his nose as he stared at the cash in her hand “ah, no worries dude. They charged it to the card. Here you go. Have a great night.” And with the quick swish of the doors, and chime of the elevator, he was gone. 

The scent of buffalo chicken wafted through the air and Rey’s stomach growled furiously as she walked around the office to deliver the food. “Strange. There’s no one here?” she asked no one as she placed the food on her desk. "Actually, not so strange considering how late it is. What person in their right mind would want to be here at this time?" she argued to herself while briefly glaring towards the wall where her lousy neighbor would be sitting once his office was deemed "finished". 

A while later her own delivery arrived, and she began to make herself busy assembling the documents. All the while, the spicy aroma taunted her nostrils and tested her morals. Somehow, in her pity party, she had forgotten to eat dinner! “Would you stop pissing and moaning?” she complained to her stomach. But still, as she packed the paperwork carefully she mulled over the mystery of the tantalizing and delicious smelling delivery. After an hour of packing the documents were complete and her stomach was still begging for her to succumb to the siren’s song the delivery bag sang. 

Crossing the room slowly, as a lioness on the prowl she made her way towards the bag…”no one is here, and no one has come to claim them” she thought as she nibbled her thumbnail. “There must have been some mistake then! I’m sure no one will mind if I eat them, seeing as no one is here” she considered looking around like a mischievous feline about to push a glass of water off the edge of table. 

Grabbing the bag, she dashed in to the office kitchen to collect a plate and napkins. As she crossed the threshold into the kitchen her she caved and tore open the bag with the grace of a hungry grizzly bear and pulled out a wing. Just as her teeth sank furiously into the tender chicken a voice startled her.

“WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH MY BUFFALO CHICKEN?!” an older male voice boomed! 

In shock, Rey dropped the remaining wings and they tumbled onto the floor spreading their fire-like sauce over the clean tiles of the kitchen. She looked up rapidly and her jaw dropped in awe…it was Luke Skywalker! The Luke Skywalker! A much older Luke Skywalker, but it was him nonetheless! 

“I thought you were retired?” Rey exclaimed.

“So that means you can steal an old man’s late night delivery?!” he asked stepping closer. 

Stunned into silence, Rey dropped to the floor to gather the mess. “Of course not, you’re right. I looked and no one was here and I -----“

The old man dropped down with a grunt to help pick up the scattered chicken. “That answers my second question but not my first. Who are you and what are you doing here so late?” he asked not unkindly. 

“I’m Rey” she replied quietly as she stood to grab some paper towels and cleaning spray. 

“Rey? Do you have a last name? I’ve been away for some time, so I’m guessing Leia hired you while I was out?” 

“Rey Kenobi, and yes, I started three weeks ago” she answered as she closed the cabinets and began to wipe up the mess. She wouldn’t want Threepio thinking someone broke in and left a mess specifically for him (he totally would). Then he would be devastated and she would probably never hear the end of it. He did seem like the type to tell the same story over and over again.

“That’s a name I’ve not heard in a long time” Luke said mystically, rubbing his beard. It was really quite a nice beard as far as overgrown mountain men went. Rey could swear he had had it treated at the spa. “Any relation to an Obi Wan Kenobi?” 

“Sounds familiar, but I’m not sure.”

“Okay, so why are you here at almost midnight? Last I checked Leia wasn’t a slave driver? Unless she went to the Dark Side while I was away? Stranger things have happened, but I know my sister and she is as steadfast as ever where character and her commitment to work-life balance is concerned.”

“No! Absolutely not! Leia has been nothing but kind. I just received a last minute assignment from one of the associates is all. I’ve actually got to run and get these packages to the post office a few blocks from here” she explained as she tossed the remainder of the mess in the rubbish bin. “It was an honor to meet you Mr. Skywalker” she said extending her hand.

“Well, I hope we don’t meet too often. I only come in at night because I prefer the silence” he said shaking her hand. 

“In that case, I hope we don’t meet often too. As much as I love my job, I also love being home in bed at this time of night” Rey laughed in earnest as she turned towards her office. She stopped to email the mailing receipts to the irritating associate and went on her way pushing the cart of boxes towards the door, pausing once to shut the lights. 

“Don’t you have a car?” a voice called out in the dim office. 

“Nope. It’s only a few blocks though. I’ll be fine and I’ll return the cart in the morning.” 

“Last I checked a few wasn’t ten. Come on, I can’t let you wander around at this time of night. This area can be dangerous!” Luke assured her in no uncertain terms. 

It was a short drive to the post office in Luke’s clunker that smelled faintly like the “cigars” some of her classmates smoked at the University. This was surprising. She didn’t peg him for a smoker. Once she had dropped the boxes off, she returned to the car to thank him for the ride. 

“Where do you think you’re going? Do you even live on this street?” Luke asked, his thick brows furrowing with concern. 

“No, I'm not rich. I’m taking the subway to Cherry Hill.”

“Like hell you are. Get in the car. I won’t bite. Jedi’s honor!” he promised holding his weather beaten hand up solemnly. 

Upon sitting in the car, thick rain began to pelt the car as Luke drove humming an indecipherable tune. Rey stared out the window observing the neighborhood and the rain. Something about rain called to Rey’s very soul and so she watched as the large drops splattered across the windows of the car. 

After twenty minutes of peaceful, but tense silence, Luke began his gentle interrogation “so which associate had you there so late? As a partner, I have a right to know, you know.”

Rey wrinkled her nose in distaste at this question. As much as she despised what the associate, who really came across as a prick had done, she had some reservations in throwing him under the bus, especially without ever meeting him. Maybe he was having a bad day? Although his quip about business and pleasure seemed to indicate otherwise, but whatever. “Oh no! With all respect, I am not a snitch. There are some things that just aren’t done, and that’s one of them” she answered solemnly waving her finger while looking out the window again. A moment later she pointed, “my flat is right there. Thank you so much for the ride to the post office and home” she exclaimed as she ran out of the car and into the rain.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic...that being said, constructive feedback is appreciated. 
> 
> FiveBucks is what my old boss used to call Starbucks. He just couldn't appreciate their delicious products because he couldn't get past the price.
> 
> Also, please feel free to hit me up on my tumblr---leialovesdarcy


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